Alhatten



B. I. MOALHATTEN. BED FOR SHIPS AND HOSPITALS.

I Patented Mar. 4, 1862.

II TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD F. MCALHATTEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BED FOR SHIPS AND HOSPITALS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 34,583, dated March 4, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERNARD F. Mo- ALHATTEN, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bed for Ships and Hospitals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure I represents a longitudinal section and Fig. II shows a top view of my improved bed.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a bed to be used either as a berth on board a ship or as a bed in hospitals, and arranged in such a manner as to form a life preserving raft in case of danger if on board of a ship or capable of being heated or cooled when used in hospitals.

In the accompanying drawings A and B represent the ends of the bed made of airtight compartments, and provided at the same time with lockers a and b, closed'by suitable doors. These ends A and B are connected together near the bottom by tubes or boxes N, forming the bottom laths of the bed, each tube or box being an airtight chamber. The ends A and B are further connected together on each side by braces n and m between which a light net-work, w, is fastened.

hen used as berth on board of ships the same are fitted to a suitable frame work in the cabins, two or three above each other, and arranged to be easily removed in case of danger, when they are lowered into the water and form then life preserving rafts, capable of containing, each, from four to six persons. In this case the ends A and B and the tubes N are made to form air chambers independent of each other, by which arrangement any accident or damage happening to either part will not destroy the efiiciency of the remaining parts. I prefer to attach the tubes or boxes N, as well as the side braces n and m, permanently to the end pieces A and B, so as to make the berth complete, to be usedas a raft at a moments notice, which on account of its lightness can easily be done," but the same may be made in separate parts and arranged to be readily fastened firmly together when wanted to form a life preserving raft by having the tubes or boxes N, as well as the side braces 12 and m, ship or unship and capable of being securely fastened when wanted, in which case each separate part can be used as a life preserven' v Provisions may be made to propel each raft by oars, or two, three or more rafts may be attached together and taken in tow by a boat. Water, provisions or other necessary articles can be secured in the lockers a and b.

l/Vhen the bed is to be used in hospital the air chambers forming the ends as well as the air chambers forming the bottom laths of the bed are arranged so as to be made to communicate with each other, and are then connected with a steam or hot water pipe, for the purpose of heating either the whole bed or any part of the same by steam or hot water, or ice may be placed into the locker in either of the ends, and the other end and bottom be heated, as the case may require.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The construction of a bed with both the end pieces, and the bottom pieces forming the bottom laths, made of airtight chambers, the whole being arranged and combined in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described and specified.

BERNARD F. MOALHATTEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. ROEDER, JOHN T. DAVIDSON. 

